Club Owner Shoots Wife, Commits Suicide

The owner of Body Elite Fitness in Houma, LA, shot his wife before taking his own life, according to media outlets.

Police arrived at the scene Wednesday morning at the home of Larry Blanchard, the owner of three Body Elite gyms, and his wife, Nicole, who had communicated with authorities by phone with only beeps, since her injuries prevented her from speaking.

Larry Blanchard, 57, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Nicole, 30, who was shot in the face, underwent surgery at a nearby hospital before she was transferred to a hospital in New Orleans, where she was listed in critical condition.

One media outlet reported that police had never before been called to the Blanchards’ home for a domestic disturbance. Larry Blanchard’s mother said her son had suffered through depression since he lost a son in an automobile accident in 1990. Larry Blanchard texted his mother on Dec. 30 indicating that he planned to take his own life because of marital discord, according to a local report. Court records showed that Nicole Blanchard was his fifth wife.

After the shootings, the Body Elite clubs were closed until further notice.